Diets lean on meat and rich in healthy fats like olive oil were most effective at promoting weight loss and lowering blood sugar among people with diabetes in a review of evidence from the last 10 years.

Benefits were also seen with diets low in carbohydrates, high in protein or low in simple sugars.

"If you look at different types of diets, these four can improve various aspects of diabetes control," lead author Dr. Olubukola Ajala, a diabetes specialist at Western Sussex Hospitals in the UK, told Reuters Health.

More than 24 million Americans have type 2 diabetes. People with the disease cannot store glucose in their cells effectively, and their blood sugar levels can go dangerously high. Lifestyle changes like weight loss and cutting calorie intake can improve blood sugar control and reduce the risk of complications from the disease, but it has not been clear which diet plans work best.

Ajala and her colleagues reviewed the results of 20 studies comparing the effect of seven popular diets on adults with type 2 diabetes. Mediterranean diets, low-carb diets, high-protein diets and low glycemic index diets - which rank foods by how quickly their carbs turn into glucose - all lowered participants' blood sugar.

After following the diet for at least six months, the people on a Mediterranean eating plan also lost an average of 4 pounds. No other diet had a significant impact on weight, according to the findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"We were quite surprised by the Mediterranean diet in particular," Ajala said. "I would have thought that low-carb would have been the best for losing weight, but Mediterranean seems to be better."

A Mediterranean-style diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables and legumes, whole grains, fish, and using olive oil and herbs in place of...

Conclusion: Low-carbohydrate, low-GI, Mediterranean, and high-protein diets are effective in improving various markers of cardiovascular risk in people with diabetes and should be considered in the overall strategy of diabetes management.

Not sure that this is a truly Mediterranean diet. My mother was from Italy in the region south of Rome. Her people ate carbs (pasta, bread, etc.), but in reasonable quantities. For example, pasta was a side dish, not a full dinner plate. Veal was a staple. In the old country, veal is cheap and plentiful, and they don't have PETA raising a ruckus. Mom didn't have diabetes and she was never overweight.

I am finding out walking on a treadmill 4-5 times a week for 25 minutes helps me more than any diet. I am Medicare age, my blood pressure and sugar levels also improve with that exercise routine.

for me it's 80 percent what i eat and 20 percent exercise... at 47 years old, 5'5" i weighed 125 lbs last summer... not bad... looked pretty good... but i decided that before i got any older i was going to have a flat tummy... no amount exercise was going to do that... to get it would depend on what i ate... i now weigh 113 lbs and have a very different body... i look much younger... clothes look really good on me...

i don't "diet" so to speak... i eat well 5 days a week and indulge 2 days a week... i have been exercising regularly for the last 5 years, mostly hitting the treadmill as well as other types of workouts... that is how i knew i would not get my flat tummy mainly by exercise... and i researched it too...

i guess it depends on what our goals are... i was already healthy with good bp and cholesterol when i weighed 125, so i guess you can say my goal was mostly about "looks." when i eat Mediterranean, i fill full taking in fewer calories... and the food is really good... tasty, healthy... even my skin is better... and i just love that i can wear anything and it looks good on me... call me vain! :)

I know that if you have a high fiber diet, you should be drinking lots of water. As to the muffin “moving things along” I’m not sure. Personally I believe moderation and variety are the way to go. It helps achieve a balanced diet, and you don’t get tired of the same foods and quit.

I tried a low-carb diet once ( South Beach) and was extremely constipated, even with the healthy, high-fiber foods included. When I relented and ate some carbs - a muffin -

i've never tried a "low-carb" diet... i really have never dieted... i do what i think i can maintain... i love pasta, not too big on bread nor flour tortillas--they're good but i don't have to have them... i like rice--all kinds... but i prefer brown... it keeps me regular and my stomach "flat."

my regular indulgences are fried tortilla chips (which i fry myself) with salsa and my own homemade guacamole (spicy and very good)--the salsa and guacamole are not indulgences... they are quite "Mediteranean." and i love a good cheeseburger... and my own chicken tacos--and it's only the fried tortilla shell that doesn't fit the Mediterranean lifestyle...

I tried a low-carb diet once ( South Beach) and was extremely constipated, even with the healthy, high-fiber foods included. When I relented and ate some carbs - a muffin -

i've never tried a "low-carb" diet... i really have never dieted... i do what i think i can maintain... i love pasta, not too big on bread nor flour tortillas--they're good but i don't have to have them... i like rice--all kinds... but i prefer brown... it keeps me regular and my stomach "flat."

my regular indulgences are fried tortilla chips (which i fry myself) with salsa and my own homemade guacamole (spicy and very good)--the salsa and guacamole are not indulgences... they are quite "Mediteranean." and i love a good cheeseburger... and my own chicken tacos--and it's only the fried tortilla shell that doesn't fit the Mediterranean lifestyle...

I was surprised to learn how nutrients affect regularity. Maybe whatever you substituted for the carbs contributed to the constipation. Fiber will make you move. I also noticed that high ratios of meat can cause some constipation. Some report that magnesium will make things happen.

It might make sense to get some blood work done with an analysis by someone who pays attention to the alphabet levels, etc. It seems the older bodies benefit from nutritional calibration.

The devil is in the details in these kind of studies. What raises red flags for me is how little weight was lost on the low carb diets. This suggests they didn’t really study low carb diets but rather “lowered” carb ones.

Also fruits are very high carb but they’re not all alike. What exactly were the carb loads of the various diets? The abstract isn’t all that revealing. Hopefully the full study becomes public soon.

You should be filling your plate with veggies. Over time your system will adjust and a muffin won’t be necessary. Stay away from cheese and any low carb “franken foods” - processed, packaged convenience products that claim to be low carb. Don’t be stingy with the good fats, either. And flax seeds are your friends.

You might want to switch to Atkins or do some reading on a higher fat, low carb diet. There’s plenty of evidence that this is a healthy, effective diet. Fat isn’t bad for you. Carbs are when eaten in excess.

25
posted on 02/07/2013 5:23:22 AM PST
by coop71
(Being a redhead means never having to say you're sorry...)

You should be filling your plate with veggies. Over time your system will adjust and a muffin wont be necessary. Stay away from cheese and any low carb franken foods - processed, packaged convenience products that claim to be low carb. Dont be stingy with the good fats, either. And flax seeds are your friends.

Sounds like you're a "Fuhrmaniac", i.e. a follower of Dr. Joel Fuhrman's regimen (it's not a "diet"), from the book "Eat to Live".

Long story short: I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes the week before Halloween. My doctor told me to get the book and follow it. After 3 months of (mostly) following the doctor's orders, the results are striking:

My HbA1c dropped from 11 to 4.6, average glucose 80, blood glucose 114. My cholesterol levels have dropped, total down to 150. More work to do on that front, but I'm on the right track. I was taking metformin (500 mg twice a day), but my doctor pulled me off the medication yesterday.

Regular exercise is equally as important. Fortunately where I live, there's a network of hiking/biking trails along the Trinity River.

My weight has dropped from 225 to 195, and I've been between 190-195 for the past two months. Another two months of steady exercise and healthy eating, and I'll meet my next goal: shedding my t-shirt when I take my son & grandson to the local aquatic center this summer.

The Eat to Live regimen is no diet. I've never eaten more food in my life. My largest meal is in the evening, consisting of a large salad with several ingredients, to include several tablespoons of garbanzo beans, plus a bag of steamed veggies. When I'm still a bit hungry after that, I'll have a bowl of berries, such as the 3-berry blend you can find everywhere. My beverage is water or iced tea (sugarless). I haven't had a carbonated soft drink in 3 1/2 months.

Dare I say it, but the bad news I got back in October was a blessing in disguise.

27
posted on 02/07/2013 5:50:11 AM PST
by Night Hides Not
(The Tea Party was the earthquake, and Chick Fil A the tsunami...100's of aftershocks to come.)

That a good way to lose weight for most people. For some of us weight is not the issue. Beyond weight, Low carb diets fix resting blood sugar, blood pressure, atherslerosis and other deadly issues only found on tests. This study is claiming the Mediterranean diet is better for people with diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

I guess I'm fairly suspicious that a high carb diet like Mediterranean would show these results. There is great resistance to low carb diets mostly because of the red meat most people eat with it. PETA types and nutritionists wedded to the low fat concept seem to hate it.

Your body takes a while to adjust to the sudden absence of poisonous-to-humans-yet-vitamin-fortified wheat flour (brought to you by ADM and their wholly owned subsidiaries in the US Senate) that you have been wolfing down every day since that first bowl of Count Chocula back in the 70's. You need Vitamin E supplements, also, or you will develop strange, dark lumps that feel like swollen lymph nodes all over your body. Many people have this happen and unnecessarily give up the low-carb diet.

Everything that was recommended on the meal plans: LOTS of raw veggies, eggs and whites, small amounts of lean meats (mostly chicken breast), olive oil, low fat cheeses, etc. It seems I was having salad with every meal. Phase I of the plan is pretty extreme on the carb limitations (no fruit, bread or pasta), but I had plenty of fiber going into me. And lots of water to wash it through. It's very similar to Atkins, except for the type of fat and meat you are allowed, and really takes off the weight - I lost 13 pounds in 2 weeks. And I don't care if "it was just water weight," weight is weight, and my knees thanked me.

But the constipation was uncomfortable. I heard this from other reviewers on-line as well.

36
posted on 02/07/2013 7:12:43 AM PST
by fwdude
( You cannot compromise with that which you must defeat.)

However, taking a B multivitamin over an extended time may actually be harmful, so stick to B-1.

2) R-Alpha Lipoic Acid (R-ALA)(not just ‘plain’ ALA), has been shown to both limit diabetic peripheral neuropathy, but also to improve circulation in the extremities. This neuropathy and reduced circulation is responsible for most diabetic foot problems.

Jose Cuervo has a premium tequila i have not tried... i want to... it's supposed to be good--Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia... it's over 100 bucks a bottle... i have had Patron Platinum--really smooth--but very pricey...

Weird. Not you, of course. Just the constipation. I know it’s not part of south beach, but coconut oil - a few TB (total) throughout the day seems to help a lot of people with that problem. You may want to give that a try.

It sounds like SB worked really well for you otherwise. Tweak it a bit and see what happens. Or, you could do what a lot of people have done: eat a bag of sugar free candy containing maltitol. You won’t ever complain of constipation on a low carb diet again.

joking!

48
posted on 02/07/2013 8:18:23 AM PST
by coop71
(Being a redhead means never having to say you're sorry...)

FWIH The secret is in the legs. The more muscle in your legs, the more regulated your sugar.

That makes sense to me. When figuring what is good for the body, think of how our ancestors evolved going back over a million years. Those genes get passed on. They survived by walking many miles everyday in search of food. Agriculture is only 15,000 years or old. Before that it was a nomadic life. They ate fruits, berries, root vegetables and whatever animal they could kill for food which had to be sporadic with no guns nor bows and arrows.

49
posted on 02/07/2013 10:13:07 AM PST
by entropy12
(The republic is doomed when people figure out they can get free stuff by voting democrats)

LMAO...When the treadmill was in the garage (I have a 4 car tandem garage..lots of space) I hated using it because it was cold there 7 months out of 12. Now I have it in my living room and I am using it much more. I can watch TV, listen to music and the 25 minutes goes fast. Got to go now...and get on the treadmill lol.

50
posted on 02/07/2013 10:18:17 AM PST
by entropy12
(The republic is doomed when people figure out they can get free stuff by voting democrats)

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